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Support for House of Lords Reform 1977-1998

Q I am going to read out a list of statements which some people have made about a variety of things concerning people in Britain today. Please would you tell me, in each case, whether on balance you agree or disagree with each one.The House of Lords should be abolished

25-26 October
1977

%

Agree

27

Disagree

54

No opinion/neither of these

19

Base: 899 GB adults aged 18+

Q I am going to read out to you a number of policies that some people would like the next government to adopt. For each one I would like you to tell me whether you support or oppose this policy.Remove the power of the House of Lords to delay or veto decisions of the House of Commons

16-17 April
1979

23 May
1983

%

%

Support

31

24

Oppose

40

47

Net support

28

29

Base: c. 1,000 GB adults aged 18+

Q Now I am going to read out a number of policies, and I would like you to tell me, from this card, whether you support or oppose each*.Replacing the House of Lords with an elected second chamber

7-25 March
1991

21 April- 8 May
1995

23-24 April
1997

%

%

%

Strongly support

17

19

n/a

Tend to support

23

24

n/a

Neither agree nor disagree

23

23

n/a

Tend to support

19

15

n/a

Strongly support

10

9

n/a

Don't know

8

11

27

Support

40

43

44

Oppose

29

24

29

Net support

+11

+19

+15

*Q wording in 1997: "On balance, do you support or oppose each of the following?..."
Base: c. 1,000-2,000 GB adults aged 18+

Q I am going to read out a series of changes that a government might propose in the future, and I would like you to tell me to what extent you support or oppose each.Remove the right of hereditary peers to vote in the House of Lords, so that only life peers had a vote

20-23 January
1995

25-28 April
1997

%

%

Strongly agree

20

21

Tend to agree

27

26

Neither agree nor disagree

19

22

Tend to disagree

14

12

Strongly disagree

7

8

Don't know

13

10

Agree

47

47

Disagree

21

20

Net agree

+26

+27

Base: c. 1,000-2,000 GB adults aged 18+

Q The Government is currently considering the future of the House of Lords. At present the House of Lords consists partly of hereditary peers, who have inherited the right to sit from their ancestors, and partly of life peers appointed by the Prime Minister of the day. In your opinion, which one of these would be the best option for the future of the House of Lords?

17-21 July
1998

23-26 October
1998

%

%

Keep things as they are

21

20

Remove the hereditary peers, with all new peers nominated by the government

11

13

Replace the House of Lords with a new second chamber partly elected by the public and partly nominated by the government

23

23

Replace the House of Lords with a new second chamber entirely elected by the public

25

24

Abolish the House of Lords altogether

12

12

Other

1

n/a

None of these

1

n/a

Don't know

6

n/a

No opinion/none of these

n/a

8

Base: c. 900 GB adults aged 18+

Q As you may know, the Government has decided to introduce major reforms to the House of Lords. It has already decided in principle to remove hereditary peers, but it has not yet settled the other details. If you had to choose between these two options, which one do you think would be better?

23-26 October
1998

%

Abolish hereditary peers now before deciding on the other details of the reforms

28

Leave things as they are for the moment until all the details of the reforms have been decided